January 5 - Yes, Really... Start the Month this Week

Hi. Just in case you haven't been to this website before, I usually don't write in it everyday. I just decided that it might be a good idea to motivate myself (and maybe my unit) by sharing my daily activities in January 2010.

Following up with clients early this month is paying off. I've had cancellations, people change to book parties (which means I can do another show on those dates), and I've also revved up a few people. These are all good things. Better for me to deal with them now and adjust my strategies accordingly.

I've just found a cool website where I can upload pdf documents and share them easily. I've uploaded the discontinued items there. I hate sending files in emails when I can send a link to a file instead. You can use these links too. Here they are:

Last chance to buy some of your favourites in January!
Click here to see the PartyLite Everyday 2009 Products Being Retired
Click here to see the PartyLite Summer/Holiday 2009 Products Being Retired

But please don't think that sending that list will get her attention all by itself. If you are going to send out the lists, you should also Make that Call to follow-up. Just let her know that you sent the list as a courtesy because some really nice items are being phased out and you don't want her to be disappointed later.

This morning I'm training a new consultant over the phone. This afternoon/evening, I'm going to make some more phone calls. Yes, Wendy... Make that Call!

What's on your to do list?

Make it a great day. WLC.

Wendy Lloyd Curley - PartyLite Senior Unit Leader
www.rainbowsandcandles.com
Check out my other blog: www.profitablepartyplan.com

January 4 - Like a Tortoise

The best thing about working for myself as a candle lady is that I do have time to do things.

Like go to the post office.

Today I posted 4 packs to hosts. This afternoon I called each one to ask if she would like to have some order forms for outside orders. It was a gentle reminder about her show, a nice reminder about the Magic Tealight promotion and the $550 target, and a non-pushy reason to make contact.

I also posted out the tickets to the 3 confirmed ladies who are accompanying me to the Experience the Difference night.

I am not working at my normal speed yet... I'm more the tortoise than the hare. But that's ok. We all know that the tortoise finishes eventually. He takes one step at a time and gets to the finish line. So these little things I'm doing now are my steps toward my goals. It really is just a matter of changing the inertia.

I am excited about Leader Summit this weekend in Melbourne. I'm sure seeing the new catalogue and being surrounded by other leaders will ignite my fuse again. The hare finishes the race too, you know. :)

Ah-deeb-a-deeb-a-deeb-a, that's all folks! WLC.

Wendy Lloyd Curley - PartyLite Senior Unit Leader
www.rainbowsandcandles.com
Check out my other blog: www.profitablepartyplan.com

January 3 - Cancellation and Phone Inertia

This morning I got the call... my host only had two people coming and didn't want to waste my time or hers. I chatted with her for a few minutes and offered to come anyway, to have a more casual chat with her and her guests, buy she decided to just not go ahead. She felt pretty bad cancelling at the last minute.

You want to know what I did?

I invited her to come to the product launch. She brightened. She is going to check with a friend of hers (another great client of mine) and see if they can come together. It made me feel good and I hope it helped make her feel better.

Be empathetic to what it feels like to invite people over and have them all be too busy to come. 

Postponements and cancellations mean that I have an afternoon available to Make That Call. 

Inertia: the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest, or an object in motion to remain in motion.

Phone Inertia: the tendency for Wendy to not make any client phone calls, or for Wendy to get on a roll and make lots of client calls.

Phone Inertia makes it hard to start. But Phone Inertia also makes it hard to stop once I get going. I'm going to make 5 calls right now....

...Wow! Inertia. I made more than 5 calls, I made 8. I now have three confirmed VIPs coming with me to the Crowne Plaza on February 1 (wish I had more tickets). I left a few messages. I've prepared a pack for one client who wants to exchange a product, but doesn't have a catalogue. I've also decided that I will host my first ever Saturday home show this month. I'll do it as an open house on the 23rd.

OK - I'll fully admit that it was hard to start. I even though about getting up from the desk and getting a coffee first, but realised that I was just procrastinating. Once I got started, I just kept going. What made me stop? Well, I need to get ready for a gig this afternoon. So I'm off to get ready for that.

Hope you're having a great weekend. WLC.

P.S. FYI - Including writing this, that was a total of 1 hour work on a Sunday.

Wendy Lloyd Curley - PartyLite Senior Unit Leader
www.rainbowsandcandles.com
Check out my other blog: www.profitablepartyplan.com

January 2 - It's the Little Things

Hi. Today is a busy one, filled with a family BBQ, 3 hours of singing and guitar playing in a pub, and a dinner out with friends. So I don't have time for much, but I do have things to do.

Get ready for my show tomorrow. I already called my host Thursday to confirm. She doesn't have many coming, but it's all still a go. I'm going to stamp catalogues, check my kit, and prepare my mobile office (order forms, New Consultant Agreements, laminated specials, etc.). If I do it now, I won't worry about it tonight and I'll sleep better.

Be ready for today. Bookings are everywhere, so I'm also going to pop 4 tealight gifts into my purse and replenish my business cards in my wallet. I'm bound to meet a few people who ask me what I do.

Wendy Lloyd Curley - Expert in Profitable Party Planning

January 1 - Clean and To Do

Happy New Year. I've decided to blog a little bit each day this month to let you know what I've done for my business. To be honest, I'm also doing it to monitor myself. You know how, when you are in an ethical dilemma, you are told to consider what you would do if your parents were watching. Or to consider what the headline would be if an article was written about what you've done. Well... I'm going to write the article myself. Let's see if I'm proud of the headlines.

January 1 - I gave myself only two tasks today. First, to clean up my office. I think I've done a pretty good job on that one. Second, to write a to do list. I've done that with small tasks, but I think here is a good place to document what I want to achieve this month.

1. Complete my 2009 tax preparation and submit to accountant
   
2. Finalise my public speaking brochure and develop a marketing plan for that
   
3. Practice or play my guitar 1 hour per day
4. Exercise 3 times per week and find a yoga class nearby
5. Keep my office clean
6. Confirm 15 people to attend the Experience the Difference event on February 1
7. Book February completely (I only have 11 days to do shows in February, so I need to get them filled)
8. Schedule 2 latte appointments each week
9. Attend Leader Summit in Melbourne (January 8-10)
10. Make 50 client calls each week (use the discontinued list to develop a list of who to call)
11. Help each of the Rainbows to establish her 4 month business plan before month end
12. Host a fantastic Unit Meeting on Wednesday, January 27th
13. Celebrate my 21st wedding anniversary
14. Use my Outlook Calendar to achieve more
15. Host the first monthly Rainbow Bonus Earners lunch on Monday, January 18th

Cool. So that's the big list. I'll use it to guide me in my activities each day and at the end of each week, I'll check it to see if I'm on track or not. You'll get to watch my progress on this blog. Hopefully this will inspire you to set your own goals and to do the activities necessary to achieve them.

One last thing.... As I was cleaning my office this afternoon, I came across a very good quote. Thought I'd share it:

The seeker goes to the mountain top and asks the learned one:
"Where does wisdom come from?"
"Good judgment."
"Where does good judgment come from?"
"Experience."
"Where does experience come from?"
"Bad judgment."

                           ~ Old Sufi Story, Dr Pierre Mornell, Psychiatrist and Author

Wendy Lloyd Curley - Expert in Profitable Party Planning
Photo credit: Fatal Cleopatra